Depleted Marshfield board couldn’t deal with proposals

MARSHFIELD – The town’s appeals board of appeals has been unable to conduct business following the selectmen’s decision not to reappoint longtime member Michael Harrington.

Selectmen did not bring forward Harrington’s application for reappointment June 30, effectively ending his term that night.

Harrington had been an appeals board member for 20 years and was the board’s chairman.

In light of what selectmen did, appeals board member Arthur Vercollone withdrew his application for reappointment during the selectmen’s June 30 meeting. That left the appeals board with only three members at its July 8 meeting. The board delayed its business until August.

“If five members are not present at a meeting, then four can make a decision with the approval of the applicant,” appeals board member Paul Younker said. “We are stuck short at only three members. Therefore, all we can do is housekeeping, approval of minutes and approving site plans.”

If the board only has four members at a meeting, applicants can have those four members vote on their applications or have the matter continued to the board’s next meeting, when all members might be present.

It’s easier for an applicant to get a majority vote if there are more board members present to vote, Younker said.

“A larger number versus a smaller number is generally better,” he said.

Appeals board members hope the board will be back to five members by September.

When the appeals board met July 8, resident Mark Ford was awaiting appointment to the board by selectmen. He was appointed to a three-year term on Friday, Selectman Stephen Robbins said.

Appeals board member Joseph Kelleher, currently on a leave of absence, is expected to rejoin the board in September, Younker said.

Once the board returns to having five members, the issue of having two associate members will remains.

Getting people to volunteer for the associate positions is difficult because an associate member votes only if a regular member is absent, Younker said.

Reach Lisa Kashinsky at lkashinsky@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarshfieldLisa.